To be a human is to have a body, and to have a body is to touch and be touched.

The silky softness of a dog’s fur, the grainy roughness of sand, the bracing coolness of water. Touch is the triumph of a high five, the comfort a bear hug, the lurching nervous magic of a kiss. Touch is the shock of a slap to the face, the grief of a hand that slips out of our own, the betrayal of a smack that should be a caress. Touch is safety, danger, pleasure, pain, comfort, courage, human. We are touching creatures, feeling our way through the world. We reach for the world, for each other, for God.

To touch and be touched is to be human.

ABOUT SPEAKING WITH JOY

A podcast that explores pieces of great art and discusses how art shapes our character and our world. Hosted by Joy Clarkson, this wonderful addition to our podcast family gives listeners the chance to delight in classics you might have missed.

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Recent Podcasts
Stories Tell the Truth
Stories Tell the Truth

Author Jennifer Layte is a firm believer in the power of story to draw us closer to Jesus and closer to an understanding of who we are. Join Mandy and Jenn at the pub table as they discuss story, nicknames, and Jenn's latest book, Follower: How Getting Close to Jesus Brings You to Yourself.

When Art Gets the Blues
When Art Gets the Blues

Mandy asks her cohosts to consider: why do some of us gravitate toward sad art when we're already sad? What is the purpose and value of art that's a little bit (or very much) heartbreaking?

Tolkien's Enigma (with C. R. Wiley)
Tolkien's Enigma (with C. R. Wiley)

Interview with the author of “In the House of Tom Bombadil”

Man Behind The Mythmakers
Man Behind The Mythmakers

John Hendrix creates graphic novels that beautifully blend prose and illustrations to tell complex stories. His latest work, The Mythmakers, delves into a subject near and dear to the heart of the Anselm Society: the friendship of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien.

Finding the Great Story in the Kitchen Sink
Finding the Great Story in the Kitchen Sink

How “Encanto” opens our eyes to finding the Great Story in daily life.

The Enduring Appeal of YA
The Enduring Appeal of YA

Sarah Hendricks is the author of a new YA fantasy novel called Ella. What’s encompassed by the term “YA Fantasy”? What are its different niches and sub-genres? And why does it have such enduring popularity with so many readers? Sarah Hendricks has the answers.

Sirens Everywhere! Not the Singing Kind
Sirens Everywhere! Not the Singing Kind

We know there's "nothing new under the sun," but must there be so many TV shows with a first responder, life-or-death, emergency services premise? Why are writers and viewers drawn to these stories--and what differentiates those worth saving from those that ought to be DOA?

The Green Ember Video Game
The Green Ember Video Game

SD Smith has recently announced a Green Ember video game. He joins the digital pub table to discuss this exciting new project.

Planting Trees
Planting Trees

What does it mean to “practice resurrection,” as Wendell Berry put it?

Where Folk Meets Jazz
Where Folk Meets Jazz

Jacob Herold joins the table to discuss his new album, The Train & The River.